Eisha Marjara facts for kids

Eisha Marjara is a talented Canadian film director and writer. She uses her skills in photography to create amazing films. Eisha has written and directed several movies that have won awards. Some of her well-known works include the documentary Desperately Seeking Helen (1998) and The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1994).

Besides her films, Eisha Marjara also created a photo series and an essay. This work was about the bombing of Air India Flight 182. Her mother and sister were sadly killed in this event. The essay, called "Remember me Nought," was featured in Descant magazine in 2013.

In 2016, Eisha Marjara released her first novel, Faerie. This book received a great review from Publishers Weekly.

Eisha Marjara's Film Career

Eisha Marjara's 1998 film, Desperately Seeking Helen, was a big success. This movie was a docudrama made with the National Film Board of Canada. It earned her international recognition and praise from critics.

Exploring Indian Roots in Film

Desperately Seeking Helen shows Eisha Marjara's journey to India. In the film, she explores her own Indian heritage. She does this by following the career of a famous Bollywood movie star named Helen Richardson Khan. The movie won an award at the Munich Documentary Film Festival in 2000. It also received an award at the Locarno International Film Festival in the same year.

Short Films and Co-productions

In 2006, Marjara's short film The Tourist was shown for the first time. This film was a co-production between Canada and Germany. It premiered at the 24th Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois.

Feature Film Venus

In 2017, Eisha Marjara finished her feature film called Venus. This movie is a mix of drama and comedy. It tells the story of a person in their thirties who goes on a journey of self-discovery. They then find out they are the parent of a fourteen-year-old boy. The film is 95 minutes long. It was produced by Joe Balass and executive producer Kevin Tierney. Venus first premiered at the British Film Institute in June 2018. The idea for Venus came from her earlier short film, House for Sale.

Recent Film Projects

In 2022, Eisha Marjara wrote and directed another film called Calorie. She has also been a member of the NFB/ONF Creation group of directors. This group helps filmmakers create new projects.

Eisha Marjara's Early Life

Eisha Marjara grew up in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Her father is Dr. Harinder Singh Marjara, and her mother was Devinder. She had two sisters, Seema and Amita. Eisha lived in Trois-Rivières, Sainte-Foy, and Montreal.

Growing Up in Quebec

When Eisha was young, there were not many East Asian Canadians in her community. She went to a small English-language Catholic school. Later, she attended Champlain Regional College and Dawson College. After that, she studied Communications at Concordia University.

A Personal Tragedy

Eisha's mother and her sister, Seema, died in the bombing of Air India Flight 182. They were flying to visit relatives. Seema had just finished high school. Eisha was not on the plane because she was receiving medical care at the time. Her father was also not on board, as he was teaching a summer course. Eisha, her sister Amita, and her father Harinder were interviewed for the 2008 documentary Air India 182.

Eisha Marjara and her family follow the Sikh religion.

Works by Eisha Marjara

Filmography

• The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1994)
• Desperately Seeking Helen (1999)
• The Tourist (2006)
• Lolita Diaries (2008)
• House for Sale (2012)
• Un Mot tel Idéal (2016)
• Venus (2017)
• Calorie (2022)

Novels

• Faerie (2016)

See also

• List of female film and television directors